"I am your other half..." Yuu repeated softly. It took him a while to grasp the situation as a gentle breeze caressed his face. He had braced himself for many possibilities, but he had never imagined a little girl would say something like this.
Yuu tried to use as firm a tone as he could, questioning her:
"What do you mean?"
However, his voice came out much softer than he had intended. It was almost as if he was afraid of hurting her. These strange feelings made it easier to believe her words. But there was a big question: how? How was what she said possible?
The cute girl scratched the back of her head. This was a habit that Yuu, or rather Kai, did frequently. It was a gesture he often made when he didn't know what to do, and seeing it in the girl made his eye twitch.
"I'm not sure how to explain it," she began softly. A glimmer of hesitation could be seen on her face. Her voice was almost a whisper as she asked:
"Do you remember your reincarnation?"
From the girl's expression, Yuu could tell she hoped he would easily remember. But no. He didn't. In the sequence of his memories, in everything he had seen so far, that was the only missing piece, and it made him uneasy.
It was possible he had simply been reincarnated without any major event, and he truly wanted to believe that. But since his recent experiences and his ability to see the Incarnation of Malice, he felt a void within him. This reinforced the idea that there was more to it.
Yuu shook his head in denial. The girl puffed her cheeks in an incredibly cute way and let out a light sigh.
"You're so harsh, Subject~! But I'll explain. Okay!"
She crossed her arms over her chest. Her pale skin was highlighted by a momentary reflection of the sun into the gazebo. It was as if she had planned this conversation in advance. She explained with an upright and confident posture:
"Viessa, the Demon Commander of Desires. We are her subjects. Try to remember your exit from the culture tank. Beyond the darkness... That's where we first woke up. As Subjects."
As the sentences brought a specific memory to his mind, Yuu took a few steps back. He clearly remembered how he had shattered the culture tank. Beyond the darkness... as it filled his mind for the first time, it scared him instead of making him happy.
"This... can't be me... Impossible..."
He looked at his hands as he said this to himself. He saw the hands of the monster that had emerged from the culture tank. The terrifyingly matte black, savage claws of a monster molded by lust and curiosity, as if it had emerged from the deepest abyss.
That was him. He possessed the soul of a monster that children would see in their nightmares. And what did 'Subject' mean? He was nothing more than an object for an experiment.
This left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he felt the world spin. The thoughts he had tried to push away just a few minutes ago were returning. Who was he really? Kai? Yuu? Or just a Subject?
Were the memories truly his? Or was he being manipulated by the one who had reincarnated him? And did he even have control over his current life in the first place?
The doubts were endless. The questions began to overwhelm him. He held his head in his hands and made a great effort not to fall, sitting down on the bench.
"Okay... okay..."
As he took deep breaths and calmed down, he could feel the girl's curious gaze on him. It was as if she was trying to read his feelings. He should have been uncomfortable, but for some reason, he wasn't. Looking at her ruby-like eyes, he let out a heavy sigh.
He considered asking who they really were, who he was, but he was afraid of the answer he would receive. He was in no way ready for it, and given the little girl's demeanor, he could guess what the answer would be. So he stopped and decided to change the subject. It was better for him this way.
He asked the girl who was curiously approaching him:
"Alright... this Incarnation of Malice... what does it do?"
The girl sat down next to him. Her elf-like, sharp ears twitched, betraying her excitement. Although her legs reached the ground, she somehow managed to swing them. She tapped the horizontal support beams under the table with her feet as she answered:
"I like the name 'Incarnation of Malice.' It fits what you've seen so far."
Then she giggled and, before continuing, touched Yuu's chest with her slender index finger.
"But in truth, the most accurate name for it would be the 'Manifestation of Desires.' Or just 'Desires' for short."
"What do you mean by 'Desires'?"
"Desires can be expressed as the sum of the feelings, intentions, and thoughts of people and yourself."
Yuu furrowed his brow. His tone became questioning.
"Isn't that a bit too general? So far, all I've seen is malice."
But the girl's expression turned playful, and she encouraged him to think with a confident voice.
"Are you sure?"
Upon this, Yuu thought. For a moment... yes, he had seen something different. The pink particles that appeared when he was with Yuka!
"Right! The thing I saw with Yuka then was..."
The girl confirmed it.
"Yes. Desire. You saw a mixture of her love and lust for you, and when you responded to it, you harvested that desire."
A confused expression appeared on Yuu's face.
"What do you mean by 'harvest'?"
"Our soul resonates with the laws of the universe. As long as we are here, we can see the desires of people, animals, almost everything, and we can respond to them."
Yuu paused for a moment. He understood what she meant very clearly. He remembered what had happened in his recent actions. The flow he had felt when he gave the blackmailing gang their due or when he responded to Yuka's feelings...
With a look of understanding, Yuu murmured:
"Evil for evil, good for good..."
This also reminded him of the flowers he had seen on the way. The colors, the scents—they were connected, just as he had guessed!
The girl, pleased with his answer, jumped up and stood in front of Yuu. Her bat-like wings also began to twitch with excitement, and finally, the excitement was reflected in her voice!
"Exactly! When we do that, the supernatural energy of desire flows into our bodies, and as a result of this resonance, it grants us various abilities."
Yuu raised an eyebrow.
"Abilities? What kind of abilities?"
Abilities... now that he thought about it, although he had never been interested before, he had seen content about superheroes in the hentai world he had come to. Although it didn't remind him of any doujinshi he had seen before, he was sure that superpowers existed in this world.
If he was gaining abilities as the girl said, it could be very useful! Just as he started to daydream and get excited, the little girl hummed thoughtfully for a moment. The answer she gave then shocked Yuu for a moment.
"The one you have now is increasing your dick size. Dick manipulation, that is. Your cock adapts to the size and thickness that will give every woman the most pleasure. Besides that... in your last intense session, you gained extreme stamina."
Yuu raised his eyebrows in astonishment.
"What the fuck?" he blurted out involuntarily. The little girl burst into laughter, pleased with his reaction.
"It's true, Subject! Hahaha! The look on your face is priceless! It seems like you're going to get all the abilities befitting a Hentai Protagonist. So you can relax! Haha!"
The little girl leaned against the table, laughing. As she laughed, some of her teeth could be seen to be sharper than others. Strands of her silver hair fell across her face. Yuu found himself gently brushing her hair back.
"I'm not sure what to say," Yuu said with a strange expression. Many words and questions were running through his mind, but since he understood the basic principle, he chose not to ask. After all, they would have plenty of time for questions. Wouldn't they?
This thought brought a crucial question to his mind.
"Is it possible for me to get you out of here?"
The girl blinked in surprise. Disbelief appeared on her face as he stroked her silver hair. Her ears twitched a few times with excitement.
"Wait, are you... serious?"
Yuu nodded. It was the first time he had seen the girl with a caught-off-guard expression, and it made him smile. This time, Yuu took the girl's hand.
"Would you like me to give you a name? Like Yuu."
It was clear the girl didn't have a name. It had probably never even occurred to her to give herself one. Looking at her completely baffled expression, Yuu easily confirmed this.
The girl, shocked by the successive developments, slowly repeated, "A name..." After a few seconds of not knowing how to react, she nodded excitedly.
Upon this, Yuu answered without much thought. The name had come to his mind the moment he saw her. There couldn't be a more fitting name.
"Velora. What do you think? It means 'strong and steadfast woman.'"
A girl who had the patience and will to watch him for years... She must be truly strong. Yuu was sure this name would suit her.
The young girl nodded enthusiastically. She accepted the name almost without a second thought, and her eyes sparkled with happiness.
"That's a perfect name! I love it!"
Velora began to fly around, flapping her wings. She was happily chanting her name. Her excited and lively demeanor made Yuu laugh.
"Then let's get out of here, Velora. Tell me, what do I need to do?"
Velora answered as she excitedly spun around. She was drawing out every word, and it was hard to understand.
"Fiiiiirst, you haaaaave to deeeesire it. To taaaaake me wiiiiith you. Theeeeen, pooooof!"
After hearing these far from explanatory sentences, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself in a hospital bed.